MAGNACLEAN FILTER QUESTION

Hey guys was hoping I could pick some of ur brains....

I have a vailant vcw242 (18yrs old, both HE's replaced) and was planning on getting the magnaclean filter to protect my system. Fairly filthy system with lots of black tiny particles in the water.

My plan is to not get a power flush but instead fit the magnaclean filter. Then remove all the rads and wash them out in the garden with a hose. Then get Sentinel X400 and circulate system and remove residues through the magnaclean filter.

My only concern is, that I read somewhere on the forum that a filter could be added to the magnaclean so that all dirt in the system is collected and not just magnetic ones. I wanted some more info on this. Is this filter within the magnaclean filter or do I have to add it into my system somewhere else?

Basically, at the end of this journey I want to ensure that I have no debris floating around my system. So, magnaclean for magnetic stuff and ..... what do I do with the other crap? Also, to reduce the impact of limescale, I live in very hard water area, I was going to fit Liff Limefighter. Any advice on whether this thing actually works? Liff Limefighter, £20, says that it magnetises particles in the water and prevents it sticking to heat exchange surfaces, is it true?

thanks for ur help guys.

Rog

I am just a householder but have used these.

Taking teh rads off and hosing then through will get out lots of soft stuff. You can take advantage and fit TRVs and replace any old lockshields at the same time (they are very cheap)

if you fit the Magnaclean; then refill with X400, run it for (say) 4 weeks, cleaning the magnet every few days until it stays almost clean, then drain, rinse, flush, you will get out most of the stuff. the Magnaclean will continue collecting traces of black for months, whatever is in the circulating water. It is very satisfying to empty out all the sludge it collects!

If you fit a full-bore drainoff it will make draining quicker and more forceful, pulling out more sediment with the strong flow.
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The drain and rinse will remove most loose non-magnetic particles.

You can follow the X400 with a more aggressive acid cleaner for scale and rust; I used these recently but didn't get much out. It stopped the boiler bonking for a while but it has started again now

It is possible to fit a nylon gauze filter on the taps of the Magnaclean, if you do this, you have to remember to take them off regularly and clean them, or they will get clogged and cause a blockage

Or at extra cost, you can get a sediment trap such as a Spirovent. I have an idea these are also in the region of £100. they are not as easy to fit as a Magnaclean as they do not come with offset spigots and valves. I got one and have not fitted it yet as too awkward

If you think you have limescale you can get Boiler Silencer chemicals, they are supposed to loosen the lime particles so instead of coagulating they float away in the water. I have not used one of these recently but last time I did, it didn't help.

If Limefighter is one of those things that claims to create a magnetic field in the water, I believe it wil be rubbish. Some people say they work, but then some people say garlic keeps vampires away.

thanks for your prompt reply. I will look out for that gauze filter.

About the boiler silencer chemicals, before I changed my main HE i used Sentinel X200. Its supposed to be safe, and did work within 2 hours. Noise was reduced but then, probably due to major scale, the HE started leaking and so was replaced.

I am planning to add some again because I believe limescale may have started building up again, its been a year. Thats why I wanted some info on the Liff Limefighter aswell.

Any further help on the Liff Fighter would be great all.

Rog

An in line Y strainer would do the trick and no need to remove the magna clean to get rid of the debris. A 22mm compression unit will set you back around £10.

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Registered Gas Man said:

An in line Y strainer would do the trick and no need to remove the magna clean to get rid of the debris. A 22mm compression unit will set you back around £10.

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I have never known Y strainer to collect much at all, but they do restrict flow a lot.

BigBurner said:

I have never known Y strainer to collect much at all, but they do restrict flow a lot.

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In Southall where they fit a "Y" strainer instead of power flushing then a blocked filter is the most common heating failure.

If the correct filter washer is fitted in the right position in a Magnaclean then much of the dirt will fall back into the main body. If there is a lot then its still a two minute job to take it out to clean.

Tony

If you want to totally protect the boiler;s heat exchangers, fit a 100 kW plate heat exchanger between the boilers flow and return. Then on the other side of the plate connect the flow and return of the rad loop. Fit Smart pump on the rad flow, a flow switch after and TRVs all around.

This isolates the damaging rad circuit from the boiler. Connect the wall stat through the flowswitch to give the boiler interlock - when no flow (all stats closed and no heat demand).

You can fit the Meganclean on the rad loop return to the plate heat exchanger.

BigBurner said:

If you want to totally protect the boiler;s heat exchangers, fit a 100 kW plate heat exchanger between the boilers flow and return. Then on the other side of the plate connect the flow and return of the rad loop. Fit Smart pump on the rad flow, a flow switch after and TRVs all around.

This isolates the damaging rad circuit from the boiler. Connect the wall stat through the flowswitch to give the boiler interlock - when no flow (all stats closed and no heat demand).

You can fit the Meganclean on the rad loop return to the plate heat exchanger.

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Which, at greater expense, just moves the problem from your 18 year old boiler (for which cheap snide HE's are easily obtained) to your new 100kW plate HE..... For which replacements, at any price, are not so easily obtained.

Nixt said:

BigBurner said:

If you want to totally protect the boiler;s heat exchangers, fit a 100 kW plate heat exchanger between the boilers flow and return. Then on the other side of the plate connect the flow and return of the rad loop. Fit Smart pump on the rad flow, a flow switch after and TRVs all around.

This isolates the damaging rad circuit from the boiler. Connect the wall stat through the flowswitch to give the boiler interlock - when no flow (all stats closed and no heat demand).

You can fit the Meganclean on the rad loop return to the plate heat exchanger.

Click to expand...

Which, at greater expense, just moves the problem from your 18 year old boiler (for which cheap snide HE's are easily obtained) to your new 100kW plate HE.

Click to expand...

• Main gas/water heat exchangers are expensive and when restricted lower efficiency.
• A plate heat X between can easily be isolated and removed (5 minutes to do). Cleaning it is easy.
• Most people do not replace a main gas.water heat exchanger, they spend a fortune on a new boiler.
• Fitting a plate heat exchanger on the rad circuit gives full flow through the boiler - a major problem with modern small tubed boilers.
• It also allows a Smart pump to be fitted and TRVs all around.
• Fit a flow switch in the rad circuit and the boiler can be switched out when all TRVs are closed up.

Great advantages all around.

I'm talking about the water-water HE which is far more commonly affected by debris. If the OP's system is cleaned (c/w Magnaclean), the primary gas-water HE is no longer at enough risk to go to the lengths you're suggesting for an 18 year old combi.

alternative is a boiler buddy from ferenox.

Its more like a filter, have only used the magnaclean and its a great product. with what you plan to do though I would have said the magnaclean is enough.

Nixt said:

I'm talking about the water-water HE which is far more commonly affected by debris.

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The thread is about both heat Xs

If the OP's system is cleaned (c/w Magnaclean), the primary gas-water HE is no longer at enough risk to go to the lengths you're suggesting for an 18 year old combi.

Click to expand...

He has a "new" heat exchanger, and when the boiler is replaced the plate heat X isolating the boiler still fully protects the new boiler, allowing full flow etc. It also allows TRVs on all rads.

It creates a primary loop and secondary variable flow loop, as in commercial systems, but with both being isolated from each other. Think of the plate heat X on the CH circuit like a vertical header, but much smaller and and instant.

BigBurner said:

Nixt said:

I'm talking about the water-water HE which is far more commonly affected by debris.

Click to expand...

The thread is about both heat Xs

If the OP's system is cleaned (c/w Magnaclean), the primary gas-water HE is no longer at enough risk to go to the lengths you're suggesting for an 18 year old combi.

Click to expand...

He has a "new" heat exchanger, and when the boiler is replaced the plate heat X isolating the boiler still fully protects the new boiler, allowing full flow etc. It also allows TRVs on all rads.

It creates a primary loop and secondary variable flow loop, as in commercial systems, but with both being isolated from each other. Think of the plate heat X on the CH circuit like a vertical header, but much smaller and and instant.

Click to expand...

Every engineer knows the method of CH transfer through a plate HE. It's also commonly used abroad where open vent boilers can be linked indirectly to sealed systems. It's unecessary in the OP's case and another example of something you've read for the first time a thought you'd try to be clever with.

If the OP cleans the system and protects it, the primary HE is unlikely to block.

It's unecessary in the OP's case and another example of something you've read for the first time a thought you'd try to be clever with.

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Brilliant, Nixt, couldn't have put it better myself, right on the button.

I am going to set my plan in motion now.

thanks for all your help guys.